Healthier Single-Serving Strawberry Shortcake (a mug cake recipe)

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This gooey, single-serving strawberry shortcake makes for the perfect sweet treat and can easily be doubled to share with a friend or significant other.

I’m about to say some things that many of you may find blasphemous. 1. I don’t like icing or frosting (except for cream cheese frosting), so I’m much more of a muffin fan than a cupcake. 2. I will choose vanilla over chocolate cake any day. 3. I really don’t like cake that much. I’d rather have a warm fruit crumble or a gooey chocolate chip cookie. However, this strawberry shortcake is a cake that I can so get behind!

At least for me, this cake has a few things going for it that has quickly made it a staple in our household: there’s no icing or frosting so it doesn’t get cloyingly sweet, there’s bits of warm juicy strawberries that add such a wonderful sweet-yet-tart flavor, it has a gooey center – no dry cake here! – and lastly you get to eat it out of a mug. I know I’ve mentioned it before, but there’s something so much cozier and more satisfying about eating out of a mug or bowl compared to a plate.

Now, you’ll notice that I use gooey to describe this mug cake. If you prefer your cakes more, well, cake-like then go ahead and microwave your cake for an extra 5-10 seconds (just be careful not to over-cook it as the texture will become unpleasantly gummy). But if you’re like me and like things a tad under-baked, then stick with 30 seconds in the microwave!

This cake is incredibly easy and you likely have all the ingredients to make it. For the strawberries, I prefer to make it with frozen strawberries that I thaw in the microwave prior to adding them to the cake. I prefer frozen berries as they break down faster and get juicier than fresh; however, if you have some fresh strawberries that need to be used up, go ahead and use them here.

You’ll also notice that I call this cake a “healthier” strawberry shortcake as I was able to cut the sugar in half, but it’s still 1 tablespoon of sugar – not the healthiest thing to have every day. But for an every once and awhile treat, I have no guilt eating a mug of this cake! You can try decreasing the sugar further, but I’m not sure how the texture will change – if you give it a try, let me know. You could also use an artificial sweetener if you really want to decrease the sugar, but I’m a strong believer in eating real sugar just in moderation.

Speaking of sweet, happy (almost) valentine’s day! I know a lot of people aren’t big fans of the holiday, but I’ve always loved it. Growing up, Valentines day was always when my dad would get me flowers, we got to make mailboxes and give out candy valentines in school, and there was always plenty of chocolate and heart-shaped candy sitting out at home. As I got older and it became more about romance than just candy, I still enjoyed it just as much. Even when I was single, me and a few of my single girl friends would get together to drink wine, watch movies, and bake cupcakes or cookies. Since being with Bry, Valentine’s day has gotten even more fun as each year we trade off who plans it. We’ve had years where it’s been as simple (yet awesome) as brunch followed by shopping at Crate and Barrel for blog stuff to more elaborate weekends at a bed and breakfast. This year it’s Bry’s turn to plan, and I honesty hope it’s low-key after all the craziness that has been our lives these past 6-9 months. I’d be so happy with a glass of wine, movie night on the couch, and this strawberry shortcake in a mug.

Whatever you do for Valentine’s day and with whomever you choose to spend it with, I hope you indulge in something sweet!

So here’s a toast to enjoying something sweet with someone you love (even if that someone is yourself)!

Definitely do and let me know how it turns out for you! Thanks Lindsey 🙂

I’m Kelli MS, RD, and my mission is to prove that eating healthier doesn’t have to be complicated or restrictive. Follow along to learn more about food and cooking, with an emphasis on breakfast and sweet treats!

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